Head coach Jeff Holt finally had time to savor Friday night's big football win a day after the Russellville Cyclones shut out and upset the No. 4-ranked Little Rock Central Tigers 23-0 at Cyclone Stadium.

RHS - which only won one game (at Pine Bluff) in its first year in the 7A Conference - has not only doubled its league victories from last season, but is now tied for first in the conference standings with Bryant. The Cyclones face the Hornets on the road this week.

Holt reiterated Saturday it was not just a huge league win, but a momentum builder for the second half of the 2007 season. Russellville (3-2, 2-0 7A Central) hadn't won at home since winning its 2006 home opener against Morrilton 23-12.

"Our kids really rise to the challenge. They just expect to go on the field and win," Holt said. "They compete hard no matter who's in front of them. It's great to see when your kids compete at the highest level, which is what we've got to do with our schedule.

"After the game when our guys were going into the stands and singing the fight song, it was just a victory for everybody. And everybody can participate in that, and that's what makes it all worth while."

Holt said he didn't know if the pressure was off his team, but he said the win meant a lot.

"When you don't win on your home field in front of your fans, it really gets to you as a coach. I know it does as a player, so it meant a lot to get that win in front our crowd," he said.

The Cyclones have had no choice but to rise to the occasion this season, as they've faced top-10 opponents the past four weeks. RHS nearly upset second-ranked Bentonville, but lost 28-27 at Cyclone Stadium. Russellville went on the road for its first conference matchup last week and beat North Little Rock 20-7.

"Starting out our first six games, five opponents have been in the top 10," Holt said. "It's a challenging schedule and the kids accept that. They do a good job competing."

The Cyclones have remained consistent all year scoring an average 24 points a game while allowing 17 with a 119-83 ratio. RHS has put 119 points on the scoreboard and given up 83.

"The consistency comes with a good senior class. They go out, and you know what you're going to get out of them. That's a tribute to those seniors," Holt said. "They get ready to play on Friday and give us everything they got."

Russellville - now 1-1 at home and 2-1 away from Cyclone Stadium - has always been a good road team, as Holt referred to last year's uspet win at Pine Bluff with a three-touchdown explosion in the fourth quarter.

"I think it's more about who you're playing than where you're playing," the coach said. "We talk to our kids about it, but it's so different where you line up. You're still going to line up against that guy, and you've still got to beat that guy. Our kids play hard and when you play hard, good things happen.

"We've done a pretty good job of rallying around our team when we go on the road," Holt said. "We take care of each other, and I think that family atmosphere we try to create is a big help when we do go on the road."

Holt said the Cyclone fans and students helped in Friday's victory and have fueled the players to play with pride and believe they can win every game.